The widespread transmission of digital data across computer networks and between transmission and reception devices has created a need for increasingly efficient systems for the encryption and decryption of sensitive data. There exist known systems that employ encryption algorithms which encrypt digital data into an unintelligible form for transmission over non-secure communication channels. One such encryption algorithm is known as the Data Encryption Standard (DES). The DES method of encryption utilizes a data encryption key which consists of a 64-bit binary word. The key is used in a mathematical algorithm which coverts digital data into an apparently random sequence of bits. The encryption key must be known to the receiver of the encrypted data, because the key is required to properly decrypt the encrypted data.
In the conventional DES system, since the encryption and decryption algorithms are publicly known, the security of the key is crucial if the data is to be protected. Thus, others have proposed the periodic generation and distribution of random DES keys. The DES users typically change keys at frequent intervals, such as on a daily basis.
Such a DES system requires that personnel on both the transmission and reception end know which key is being used on a particular day. Such an approach is disadvantageous, because the more people who know the key being used, the more likely that unauthorized people will discover the key as well, and therefore be able to intercept and interpret data that is intended to be maintained in secrecy.
Thus, the need exists for an improved system and method for concealing parameters that are being loaded into a device. The present invention addresses this need.